1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The invention described and claimed herein is generally related to mounting devices for telephones and the like. More particularly, the present invention is related to devices for mounting a cellular telephone handset cradle in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 C.F.R. .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99 (Background Art)
The widespread advent of cellular telephones has resulted in a need for cellular phones to be installed in many kinds of vehicles, which have widely varying interior dimensions, shapes and sizes. In this regard, vehicles have dashboards of different sizes, shapes and orientations. Additionally, some vehicles with bucket seats have middle consoles or transmission housings of various sizes and shapes, which are generally positioned centrally between the front seats or below the dashboard. These differences in vehicle configuration, coupled with varying personal preferences as to the location of the telephone handset, has created a need for a mounting device for the cellular phone handset, which can enable the handset to be mounted in any of a number of different positions and orientations within the cab of the vehicle.
In this regard, most handsets for cellular or mobile telephones rest removably in a cradle which must be mounted within the vehicle. The previously available mounting systems for such handset cradles do not offer the versatility in positioning necessary to accommodate all the different vehicle designs and personal preferences.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,553, issued Oct. 11, 1988, to Kobayashi, describes a clamshell-type cradle mount for a telephone handset which has only a very limited rotational adjustment range in two directions and very little standoff from the mounting surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,916, issued Jan. 10, 1989, to Kojima, also discloses a telephone handset cradle mount, which is pivotable in one dimension and over a limited angular range.